Archive for December, 2013

Knowledge transfer has always proved to be one of the best, perhaps the best, way to learn the many complexities of wine. Instructor-led tastings is one way to accomplish this – to actually become a student of wine. In fact, many of us either started our respective wine journeys in this fashion, or we know someone else who did.

Sometimes, there are natural roadblocks to this learning process. For instance, one of the key steps in wine evaluation is the elimination of outside influences such as the labels or scores of the wines being presented. It can also be difficult for those new to wine to feel comfortable discussing the subject amongst seasoned veterans. Thus, one of the best approaches to wine education, and continuing wine education, is to combine both newbies and experienced tasters in blind-tasting sessions.

Join us as we talk with Jörn (Joey) Kleinhans about his educational tasting program, the Wine Elite Society. As sommeliers, Joey and a few of his guest instructors tailor their approach to educating tasters to the nuances of fine wine through blind tasting, and a little psychology.

Winegrowing has been going on in South Africa since the late 1600s, making it ‘the oldest of the New World producers.’ Thirty years ago, the region’s wines were of uneven quality – something that has demonstrably changed over the last ten or more years. The recent acquisition of Mulderbosch Vineyards by California–based Terroir Capital LLC is emblematic of these changes.

Join us as we talk with Adam Mason, winemaker for Mulderbosch Vineyards about this re-discovered region for such classic white varieties as sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc. You’ll find there’s more to South African wines than you imagined.

What’s this? A show about…tequila? Well, tequila may have more in common with wine growing and wine making than you might imagine. The rules for where and how it can be grown rival many French AOCs. Blue agave plants are planted and hand harvested with some of the same rigor that goes into planting and harvesting grapes. Once harvested, the pulp is then fermented. Of course, this is before it gets distilled…twice.

Familiar to most Americans as the primary alcohol ingredient in Margarita cocktails, tequila is gaining traction world-wide for its different styles, its versatility in other cocktails besides Margaritas, as well as its ability to pair well with many foods.

Join us as we talk with Jim Riley, CEO of Intersect Beverage and Azuñia Tequila, about how and where tequila is made, the stringent rules for producers, tequila’s uses in cocktails, and its versatility with food. May the spirits be with you!

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GrapeRadio is a wine talk show. Show topics cover issues such as the enjoyment of wine, wine news and industry trends - the hallmark of the show is interviews with world class guest (winemakers, vineyards owners, wine retail / wholesale leaders, restaurateurs and sommeliers). The scope of the show is international so expect to hear many guests from around the world.

GrapeRadio has received numerous awards and honors including the 2008 James Beard Award for excellence in Journalism.

GrapeRadio has been the subject of numerous news reports by: The New York Times, Business Week, CNN, The Financial Times of London, and Wired Magazine.